Clemson coach used to long odds

Tuesday

Dec 31, 2013 at 1:13 AM

Most of his adult life Dabo Swinney has been a longshot.

Todd Porter CantonRep.com Special Projects Editor @toddporter

Most of his adult life Dabo Swinney has been a longshot. He was a walk-on wide receiver in 1989 at Alabama and soon earned a scholarship and lettered three years, including on the Crimson Tide’s 1992 national championship team.

The following year, Swinney started working on his MBA as a graduate assistant coach. When Mike DuBose was fired in 2001, Swinney was out of a full-time coaching job at one of the country’s most prestigious football programs.

He spent two years (2001-03) working for AIG developing real estate projects.That was kind of fitting. It prepared him for what he was about to do at Clemson.

Clemson hired Swinney as an assistant coach in 2003 and by the time Tommy Bowden resigned in the middle of the season in 2008, he was the interim head coach. The title would become permanent, and Swinney would start the process of bringing Clemson football back.

On Friday night at Sun Life Stadium, Swinney’s 12th-ranked Tigers will try to knock off No. 7 Ohio State in an Orange Bowl game that’s a stage-setter for both programs in 2014.

This isn’t Urban Meyer’s first run-in with Swinney. In 2006, Meyer was sure he would land prized recruit C.J. Spiller.

Instead, Spiller chose Clemson, and Meyer was left to wonder what Clemson could possibly offer that Florida couldn’t.

Meyer’s defensive coordinator, Charlie Strong, recommended Meyer make a visit to Clemson to find out what “Death Valley” was all about. Meyer didn’t make the trip until 2011 when he was working for ESPN.

“I said on the air that was the first time I got to witness a game in Death Valley,” Meyer said. “I was really impressed. That was the first time, too, that I got to see that offense. I was very impressed with the atmosphere and talent. I have a lot of respect for Clemson.

“Everybody wants to knock off the Buckeyes. I take that as a compliment. It’s the same for Dabo. Everybody wants a little piece of Clemson when they’re doing well.”

Swinney is effusive in praise for Meyer and what he has done in two years at Ohio State. There are some who think Meyer is a short-term fix. Swinney seems to talk as if Meyer is going to be Ohio State’s coach well into the future.

“We’re playing possibly the best team in the country,” Swinney said. “They’re a couple of plays away from being on the other coast and having a chance to go prove that.”

Swinney beat Ohio State for quarterback Tajh Boyd. Now Boyd is on the verge of a large NFL payday in the draft.

Buckeyes linebacker Ryan Shazier said Boyd would be the best quarterback OSU has faced this season.

“I was working at ESPN when I saw the transition from good player to great player,” Meyer said. “His supporting cast may be the best in America.”

Ohio State cast its lot with Braxton Miller. Few Buckeye fans would complain about landing Miller instead of Boyd, albeit a year apart.

“He’s a winner,” Swinney said of Miller. “When you can count on one finger how many losses you’ve had (under Meyer), that’s pretty good. He’s lost one game in two years.”

But it was a big one. Ohio State’s loss and Miller’s getting stopped on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter against Michigan State cost the Buckeyes a chance to play in the national championship game.

Boyd has won enough games to elevate Swinney’s program to second-best in the ACC. Losing on the big stage to Florida State, and then in the final regular-season game to in-state rival South Carolina are the kind that Swinney needs to win.Winning either of those games would have elevated Swinney’s program on the national stage. The Tigers were ranked third and the Seminoles No. 5. when Florida State won 51-14.

The loss in the regular-season finale has left a bad taste. Swinney is 1-5 against the Gamecocks, and it isn’t sitting well with the natives.

“The opportunity to play Ohio State ... they represent the best of the best,” Swinney said. “For us, we’re very proud of the things we’ve accomplished and the consistency we’ve developed. We’re 21-4 since we were down (at the Orange Bowl) the last time (2011), with four losses to four good teams. This is a chance to measure up with one of the best teams in the country.”

Clemson comes into the game as a three-point underdog. It’s a position Swinney is used to being in.

Big games against ranked top-15 opponents isn’t the norm for Ohio State. It is at Clemson.

“This is our sixth game against a top-12 team in the last 15 ballgames. (Ohio State) is like all those other ones,” Swinney said. “They’re very talented, very well coached and physical. They’re the best of the best.”